Cultural Ecology of the Queen ConchStrombus gigas(Class Gastropoda)Other Conch SpeciesFlorida Crown Florida FightingFlorida HorseHawkingMilkWest Indian CrownWest Indian FightingAnatomyShared with other gastropods (stomach-footed)Reaches 30 cm in lengthMature conch has flared lipShell spines help reduce predationLarger shellDistributes crushing pressure over surface of shellAttachment device for epibionts to conceal shellMr. SlimyWant to Know How the Shell Develops?Talk to KiraHabitat and Feeding HabitsSeagrass bedsEats grasses, epiphytes and detritusHave you seen a conch on our dives?How big?JuvenilesJuveniles bury selves to escape predation, until Ú 5 cm (Iverson et. al. 1989)Prime juvenile habitat:Intermediate density of seagrass (30-80 g dry wt/m2 )2-4 metersStrong tidal currentsMost seagrass beds cannot support juvenilesReproduction and Life CycleInternal fertilizationMetamorphosis from larvae triggered by low molecular weight compounds associated with red algae (Boettcher & Target 1997)Variations in shell development appear to be influenced more by local environment than genetic variability (Martin-Mora & James 1995)ResearchApproximately 230 published papers by 1997Publication driven mainly by maricultural concernsFormal descriptions of larval stage of several Strombus species first appeared in 1993ThreatsOver-ÓharvestedÓ for÷FoodShell used for jewelry and decorationProductive areas become žsinksÓOnly 5,000-9,000 in FloridaFishing restrictionsFishing moratorium in Florida since 1985 (little to no recovery, relies on unpredictable current?)Bahamas restricted to free diving (unfortunately, juveniles and young adults are in the shallows)FutureHatcheries producing millions of juveniles, but survival rate very poor compared to wild (Xanthid crabs a major predator of juveniles)Thinner shells, shorter spines, low burial frequencySubstrate enclosure? (Iverson et. al. 1989)May need higher density for males and females to detect one another (internal fertilization)Must begin to take a metapopulation perspective (Stoner 1997:21)An Hypothesis Based on Info from JylGiven that a colony of Conch will vacate an area once removed from that colony (Lapachin 1999), and÷That under žnaturalÓ conditions there is much less predation of the adult vs. juvenile conch, then÷Perhaps human predation has the double effect of not only removing a single conch, but also reducing survival of others due to energy-loss (= bears in the wild)The Conch in MesoamericaArchaeological and Ethnohistoric EvidenceEarly ImagesTeotihuacan 0-700 ADCentral Valley of MexicoAn empireŪs symbol of control over distant ecological zonesCoyote Playing ConchXochicalcoWarring City States following the collapse of TeotihuacanAssociated with the rain deity (Tlaloc?)Symbol of wealthAcquired by trade rather than conquest

Conch Sculpture at the Templo MayorTenochtitlanIs there anything to learn from Mesoamerican civilizations?Not just balance in modern sense, but integration of humans & the rest of the žnaturalÓ worldVs. the natural/cultural approach, managed/wildSanctions for violating life (human sacrifice), enculturation processes which produce a sense of awe and symbiotic pleasure (Nahua)No se puede comer La Patria